Submissions

Submission to Joint Standing Committee on Assistive Technology

ECIA drafted a submission based on members feedback to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Assistive Technology. We sought feedback from members, nationally, by way of survey and received 37 detailed survey responses.

We made the following points in our submission:

·Families of children age 0-6 with developmental delay and disability are new to disability and as such have limited knowledge of Assistive Technology and are reliant on ECI service providers for support and advice. Very young children quickly outgrow equipment and require ready access to new equipment.

·The Assistive Technology process is long and complicated, particularly for complex items. The complexity is a feature carried over from the previous state based Assistive Technology systems. Currently the process takes anywhere between 3 to 12 months which means that very young children miss developmental milestones for the lack of essential equipment.

·ECI providers who prescribed and source Assistive Technology for NDIS participant families have identified a number of issues impacting on providers and families such as high administrative costs, lack of access to trial equipment as well as cumbersome and unresponsive administrative processes.

·ECIA members call for effective and responsive arrangements that families can manage without ECI practitioner involvement with a clearly defined role for the roles and responsibilities of ECI practitioners in the Assistive Technology process.

ECIA's Submission to the Productivity Commission's Review of the National Disability Agreement

ECIA drafted a submission to the Productivity Commission’s Review of the National Disability Agreement (NDA).

We proposed that the NDA should be maintained and reframed towards achieving inclusion for different age cohorts of people with disability in all relevant service systems including specific performance indicators and measures used to track progress.

Submission to NSW inquiry into NDIS Implementation

To inform this submission, ECIA circulated a detailed survey to all Executive Officers and Senior Managers of NSW early childhood intervention service providers.

We received 10 detailed responses with an average time taken to complete a response being 30 minutes.
ECIA regularly consult with the NSW ECI sector through our Managers’ Forums and regional ECI Forums.

Input and feedback was also provided from a reference group which assisted ECIA in putting together textured and nuanced answers to complex questions covering four of the inquiry's key areas, which included:

The accessibility of Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services and Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) Approach services for children for children with developmental delay and disability age 0-6 and their families

Workforce issues impacting on the delivery of Best Practice ECI services

Incidents where inadequate disability support result in greater strain on other community services, such as justice and community

Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA) has received extensive feedback from the Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) sector Australia wide about Therapy Price Controls set out in recommendations 17 to 21 in the McKinsey & Company Independent Pricing Review (IPR) Report released on 2 March 2018.

Click here to view the submission ECIA has made to the NDIA in response to the IPR recommendations.

ECIA Submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Provision of Services under the NDIS ECEI (2017)

On 1 September 2016, the House of Representatives established the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

As part of the committee’s inquiry into the implementation, performance and governance of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the committee will examine the provision of services under the NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) Approach.

The joint committee is to report by 6 December 2017.

For further information about the Parliamentary Inquiry into the provision of services under the NDIS ECEI, click here.

ECIA Submission Summary

This submission recognises that as the Scheme is rolled out and the ECEI approach becomes “usual practice” in service coordination, planning and delivery there is a need to ensure that there are collaborations/networks and systems in place to gather ongoing feedback from participants and the disability, health and educations sectors.

It also acknowledges a requirement for ongoing evaluation, research, capacity building, innovation and workforce development.

ECIA’s expectation is that children with disability/developmental delay will receive best practice Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) based on the ECIA National Guidelines for Best Practice Early Childhood Intervention (ECIA February 2016).

The Guidelines provide an evidence-based framework for excellence in service delivery developed by and for the ECI Sector and commissioned by NDIA.

ECIA Submission to the NDIS Act Review (2015)

The federal government's Department of Social Services has commissioned EY to conduct a review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act (2013). As the national peak body for Early Childhood Intervention, ECIA was invited to participate in the review, attending a review focus group session in September and providing a separate written submission.

ECIA Submission to the NDIS Act Review (2015)

The federal government's Department of Social Services has commissioned EY to conduct a review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act (2013). As the national peak body for Early Childhood Intervention, ECIA was invited to participate in the review, attending a review focus group session in September and providing a separate written submission.

ECIA Response to Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Policy under the NDIS (2015)

ECIA Submission to Productivity Commisions Inquiry into Childcare and Early Learning

ECIA's response to the Productivity Commission inquiry into Childcare and Early Learning. ECIA's submission highlighted the particular needs of children with disability and developmental delay and their families.

Areas highlighted include inclusion, inclusion support subsidy, specialist equipment program, workforce improvement, transition to school and ECEC and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

ECIA believes that this Inquiry provides a crucial opportunity to improve inclusion in ECEC for children with disability and developmental delay.

ECEC services have the power to not only make the biggest impact on children’s lives and their future life trajectory, but to also change the next generation’s attitudes on community inclusion.

ECIA Submission regarding NDIA Draft Strategic Plan 2013-2016 (2014)

In this submission, ECIA highlighted the important role of the family in the lives of young children with disability and/or developmental delay. The specific needs of young children within the goals and outcomes of the NDIS were discussed.